SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER AND CLIMATE

March 12 - 18, 2001

WEATHER SUMMARY

Wet weather on both Monday and Thursday provided relief to the ongoing lack of rain and helped cleanse the air of one of Spring's signatures, pollen. Most of the work week was mild to warm as afternoon high temperatures rose into the mid to upper 70's. Somewhat cooler conditions were observed over the weekend; however, mostly sunny skies did not limit out of doors activities. Statewide temperatures for the period averaged four degrees below normal.

PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE DATA

The highest temperature was 83 degrees Givhans on March 16. The lowest temperature was 26 degrees at Union on the morning of March 17. The heaviest 24 hour rainfall reported was 1.92" at Allendale ending at 7:00 a.m. on March 16. The average statewide rainfall for the period was 1.9".

                      Precipitation
               Period    2001  Deviation*               Temperature
Location        Total   Total   From Avg.            Maximum    Minimum	
Greer            1.93    8.14       3.6B                71         37                            	              		
Columbia         1.59    6.79       4.6B                76         43
Florence         1.73    6.17       3.1B                79         43	        
Charleston       2.57    6.61       2.8B                80         47   
N Myrtle Beach   2.10    7.78       1.7B		78         40
Augusta, Ga.     2.14    9.09       2.1B                78         40
*A=Above, B=Below                                                                       
                                
               

Note: Weekly rainfall amounts are for the prior 24-hrs ending 7 am Monday through ending 7 am Sunday.

SOIL

4 inch depth average soil temperature: Columbia 58 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF

South Carolina river stages were nearing normal.
Surf temperatures at Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 55 degrees.